Enumeration of illumination and scanning modes from real-time spatial light modulators.

Using a phase-only spatial light modulator (SLM) in a Fourier transform setup together with fast diffractive optics design algorithms provides a way to automatically generate complex and rapidly changing laser illumination patterns in the far-field. We propose a hierarchical software structure for the adaptive, on-line design of far-field illumination patterns. Using the on-line design system together with camera feedback of the illuminated scene would make it possible to detect and actively laser designate multiple objects in parallel. Possibilities for multispot, arbitrary trajectory scanning and also broad-area speckle-reduced illumination are demonstrated with experimentally measured diffraction pattern sequences from a 120 x 128 pixel phase-only SLM.

Nonlinear effects of phase blurring on Fourier transform holograms

Liquid-crystal light valves can have intensity-dependent resolution. We find for a nematic liquid-crystal light valve that this effect is well modeled as a phase that has been blurred by a linear space-invariant filter. The phase point-spread function is measured and is used in simulations to demonstrate that it introduces intermodulation products to the diffraction patterns of computer-generated Fourier transform holograms. Also, the influence of phase blurring on a pseudorandom-encoding algorithm is evaluated in closed form. This analysis applied to a spot array generator design indicates that nonlinear effects are negligible only if the diameter of the point-spread function is a small fraction of the pixel spacing.

Improved-fidelity error diffusion through blending with pseudorandom encoding

Error diffusion (ED) and pseudorandom encoding (PRE) methods of designing Fourier transform holograms are compared in terms of their properties and the optical performance of the resulting far-field diffraction patterns. Although both methods produce a diffuse noise pattern due to the error between the desired fully complex pattern and the encoded modulation, the PRE errors reconstruct uniformly over the nonredundant band-width of the discrete-pixel spatial light modulator, while the ED errors reconstruct outside the window of the designed diffraction pattern. Combining the two encoding methods produces higher-fidelity diffraction patterns than either method produces individually. For some designs the fidelity of the ED-PRE algorithm is even higher over the entire nonredundant bandwidth than for the previously reported [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 16, 2425 (1999)] minimum-distance-PRE algorithm.

Ternary pseudorandom encoding of Fourier transform holograms.

Pseudorandom encoding is a statistical method for designing Fourier transform holograms by mapping ideal complex-valued modulations onto spatial light modulators that are not fully complex. These algorithms are notable because their computational overhead is low and because the space-bandwidth product of the encoded signal is identical to the number of modulator pixels. All previous pseudorandom-encoding algorithms were developed for analog modulators. A less restrictive algorithm for quantized modulators is derived that permits fully complex ranges to be encoded with as few as three noncollinear modulation values that are separated by more than 180 degrees on the complex plane.

Pseudorandom encoding for real-valued ternary spatial light modulators.

Pseudorandom encoding with quantized real modulation values encodes only continuous real-valued functions. However, an arbitrary complex value can be represented if the desired value is first mapped to the closest real value realized by use of pseudorandom encoding. Examples of encoding real- and complex-valued functions illustrate performance improvements over conventional minimum distance mapping methods in reducing peak sidelobes and in improving the uniformity of spot arrays.

Pure phase correlator with photorefractive filter memory.

We report on the investigation of a new compact configuration of an inverted VanderLugt-type correlator system. The phase of the Fourier transform of the image to be recognized is displayed on a phase-modulating electrically addressed spatial light modulator. This phase display is compared with the phase of the Fourier transforms of a reference library recorded in a photorefractive LiNbO(3) crystal. Angular hologram multiplexing permits fast data access, and the use of the conjugated replica of the stored templates leads to an elimination of phase distortions introduced by the optical system. With such a configuration, the correlator is fully shift invariant in spite of the photorefractive crystal thickness and has good discrimination with sharp correlation peaks.

Modified minimum-distance criterion for blended random and nonrandom encoding.

Two pixel-oriented methods for designing Fourier transform holograms--pseudorandom encoding and minimum-distance encoding-usually produce higher-fidelity reconstructions when combined than those produced by each method individually. In previous studies minimum-distance encoding was defined as the mapping from the desired complex value to the closest value produced by the modulator. This method is compared with a new minimum-distance criterion in which the desired complex value is mapped to the closest value that can be realized by pseudorandom encoding. Simulations and experimental measurements using quantized phase and amplitude modulators show that the modified approach to blended encoding produces more faithful reconstructions than those of the previous method.

Experimental systems implementation of a hybrid optical-digital correlator.

A high-speed hybrid optical-digital correlator system was designed, constructed, modeled, and demonstrated experimentally. This correlator is capable of operation at approximately 3000 correlations/s. The input scene is digitized at a resolution of 512 x 512 pixels and the phase information of the two-dimensional fast Fourier transform calculated and displayed in the correlator filter plane at normal video frame rates. High-fidelity reference template images are stored in a phase-conjugating optical memory placed at the nominal input plane of the correlator and reconstructed with a high-speed acousto-optic scanner; this allows for cross correlation of the entire reference data set with the input scene within one frame period. A high-speed CCD camera is used to capture the correlation-plane image, and rapid correlation-plane processing is achieved with a parallel processing architecture.